Amusement apparatus.



No. 887,803. PATBNTED MAY 19, 1908.

J.- HENZI.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLIOATIOH nun 0012 190 7 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Mme/1 a THE NORRIS PETERS cm, WASHINGTON, o. c.

No. 887,808. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

' J. HENZI.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLIGAT 0N IL no 1 I F 3 GT 907 zsnms smnw 2.

8 8 AQ W A A g n A Q a 8 flrt mu o UNITED srarnsrarnn OFFICE.

JOSEPH HENZI, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Application filed October 2, 1907.

T all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Josnrn IIENZI, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented a new and use ful Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to amusement apparatus and more particularly to illusion devices and the object of the invention is to provide a structure simulating a boat and having combined therewith moving scenery designed to simulate the foreground and background of a landscape, the difi erent portions of the scenery being movable at different speeds.

Another object is to provide novel -means for mounting the scenery so that the same can be held in a small space.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a transverse section through the rear portion of the apparatus, said section being taken on the dotted line indicated in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the apparatus showing the scenery in plan.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates a platform simulating the deck of a boat, the same being preferably arranged within a suitable inclosure and having the forward portion thereof representing any desired part of a boat such as a cabin 2 and a bridge 3. Seats such as 4 are arranged upon the platform or deck for the accommodation of spectators and said deck and other portions of the structure visible to the spec tat-ors are finished and decorated to present every appearance of a boat.

Arranged within the housing and adjacent each side of the boat structure although removed therefrom is an endless belt 5 arranged in .numerous folds carried by upstanding rollers 6 located in series adjacent the ends of the structure and additional rollers 7 are provided adjacent the end rollers of each series and these additional rollers carry the front and rear portions of the belt 5 as clearly indicated in Fig. 2.

It will be seen that the belt is endless and by arranging it in the manner shown it is pos- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Serial No. 395,604.

sible to store a belt of considerable height within a small compass without causing any of its parts to contact and at the same time keeping all portions thereof out of view except the inner or front ply designated by the character 5. This belt 5 may be suitably painted to indicate the background of the scenery to be presented to the spectators and the two belts at the sides of the boat structure are designed to be simultaneously actuated by means of a drive shaft 8 disposed to be driven by a suitable motor 9. This drive shaft has gears 10 meshing with gears 11 which are secured to shafts 12. One of these shafts is secured. to one of the rollers of each belt 5 and obviously when the shaft 8 is rotated the two belts will be moved simultaneously in one direction. It is of course to be understood that the rollers 6 and 7 may be mounted in any preferred manner, the necks or 'trunnions thereof being preferably carried by rigid sup porting frames 13 located adjacent the ends of the housing 14 in which the apparatus is located.

Interposed between the deck or platform 1 and each belt 5 are one or more endless belts 15 each of which is carried by two inclined rollers 16 located adjacent the ends of the housing. The rollers are inclined toward the belts 5 and extend below the deck or platform 1. One roller of each belt 15 has a gear 17 revoluble with it and these gears are designed to mesh with gears 18 of different sizes secured to and revoluble with the shaft 8. The gears are so proportioned that when shaft 8 is rotated the belts 5 form or deck 1 will be operated at a greater speed than the next adjoining belts. It is designed to paint or otherwise finish the belts 15 so that the same will represent the foreground of the View to be presented. In the present instance this foreground is preferably painted to represent water. By inclining the belts 15 it becomes impossible for spectators to see the rear plies of the belts and moreover said belts can be caused to cover a greater horizontal area and the representations thereon can be better merged into one another to produce the desired scenic effect. It is of course to be understood that any suitable means such as hanging walls 19 or suspended scenery can be used for concealing the upper portions of belts 5.

nearest the plat- In using the apparatus the spectators occupy the seats 4 and after the preparations usually incident to getting a boat under way ciple that the arrangement of moving scenery has been based. The nearest portions of the foreground travel more rapidly than the distant portions thereof while the background travels more slowly'than any other portion of the scenery so that the scenic effect appearing to a person traveling upon a boat can be correctly reproduced.

If preferred, a rocking motion may be imparted to the boat structure in any suitable manner duced by the action of Waves. This mechanism however constitutes no part of the invention and it is not therefore deemed neces sary to illustrate or describe it.

WVhat is claimed is:

In apparatus of the character described the combination with a platform, a housing inclosing the same, and hanging walls suspended within the housing for restricting the field of vision of the occupants of the platform; of a drive shaft extending transso as to simulate the movement proversely beneath the platform and beyond the sides thereof, background scenic belts l disposed within the housing and extending I above the field of vision, each belt consisting of "a plurality of folds, a plurality of vertical rollers supporting said folds, a shaft extending from one of the rollers, gears upon said shaft and the drive shaft for transmitting motion from the drive shaft to the belt, a plurality of inclined belts lapping the lower portion of the background belt and extending below the field porting said belts, gears revoluble with said rollers, means upon the main shaft and mesh ing with the ears of the rollers, all of the gears on said main shaft being disposed to simultaneously rotate the gears of the in I clined and background belts at different speeds simultaneously, the upper portions of I all the foreground belts being visible from i the platform.

In testimony my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. JOSEPH HENZI. l WVitnesses:

CHARLES D. HARDING, E. H. PEIROE.

of vision, rollers for sup 4 that I claim the foregoing as 

